Mulesaw

@mbnaegle I can easily understand the lure of doing a project like this, but given that western saddles require a lot of leather and a lot of work, it might be better to purchase a worn saddle or a new tree that will actually fit a horse that either you have or someone else does. Making a "learning saddle" is a great idea, but making learning saddle that will be used is even better. If the purpose is to give you some experience to work on those heirloom saddles, then it would be great to know that the solutions you want to use actually work. And you can't really tell that if the saddle you are training on is just "going to look pretty" The price of the leather is going to be the same more or less, and also the work involved. But once the saddle is completed, it should fit a horse or a pony. It is quite possible that your small saddle will, but I would check with some local horse owners (if you don't have horses yourself), that the tree fits a horse that is regularly ridden. If it doesn't fit anything - then I would probably try to get a hold of another tree. I am not trying to discourage you in any way, (I have the same plan with some old English pony jumping saddles), but spending a lot of time and never being able to see the saddle being used would just be devastating in my opinion. Brgds Jonas

I'll second @Tigweldor, using a compressor has the risk of blowing sand/dust into places where it shouldn't go. A small brush used together with a vacuum cleaner would be my preferred method. Brgds Jonas

Impressive as always! The yoke design is stunning, just like the carving. Such dramatic curves. Ands the rough side out just gives an excellent contrast to the ornamentation. Part of me thinks they look too nice to use, and another part of me thinks they should be worn 24/7 to spread joy to whomever is wearing them and those lucky enough to get a glimpse of the workmanship. Brgds Jonas

Apparently my lack of computer skills messed up the picture insert.. Here is another go: Here's my Valp, just after I painted the pink ribbon on it to support the fight against breast cancer. It is an excellent example of that the A in Volvo stands for Aerodynamics ;-) It has an exceptionally poor gas mileage, but it will go almost anywhere. At the moment it has a ruptured brake line, and I haven't found the time to fix it yet.

Here's my Valp, just after I painted the pink ribbon on it to support the fight against breast cancer. It is an excellent example of that the A in Volvo stands for Aerodynamics ;-) It has an exceptionally poor gas mileage, but it will go almost anywhere. At the moment it has a ruptured brake line, and I haven't found the time to fix it yet. IMG_4069.jpg 167 KB

fantastic looking rig! I especially like the details with the stamping on the cartridge loops. That is a nice touch.

Welcome, I think that a belt is a great starter project, since it is something that most people can use on an everyday basis. Brgds Jonas

My deepest condolences on your wife. The sling looks beautiful, the contrast with the light part around the letters looks really good.

@donholloway Thanks, it is challenging to make stuff like that once in a while :-) Brgds Jonas

I think the commercial lasts (and the older ones that I have seen too) are thinned in the area to avoid the leather to become "bulky" after a little while. It the shaft sacks down it might push the leather out. But I suppose it depends on if you are using very thin leather or something with a bit of thickness in it. @Tastech most likely knows, He is a shoemaker, so I'd take his advice any day of the week :-)

I have a 1967 Volvo L3315 Valp (meaning puppy), it is an ex Swedish military radio offroad vehicle. Sadly the Danish government is trying its best to make it difficult to drive classics or vintage cars. I also have a couple of vintage motorcycles. A 1962 Vespa GL 150 scooter, a 1973 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport and a 1978 Moto Guzzi Le Mans :-) Our youngest son has been bitten by the bug :-) and in the age of 18 forked out a wad of cash and bought himself a souped up 1962 Volvo 121 Amazon. IT still amazes me how it is possible to make such boring and bland cars today. I miss some curves on the body of vehicles. They all look very much alike those days.

@TomE Yes it seems as though there is a bit of a rumble at the moment concerning tariffs.. I hope that you are able to get them without too much fuss. If all else fails, I'll be happy to order them and send them to you, but I guess it'll be the same result as Denmark and Czechia are both members of the EU. Another suggestion is to find a boat equipment dealer, They normally stock all kinds of things in stainless steel. It might be worth a try before unleashing the wrath of the import duty gods :-)

Pethardware in Czechia has got them. I tried to see Laederiet in Denmark, but they only got them in brass and this Zamak (zink alloy) https://www.pethardware.com/en/stainless-steel-snap-hook/stainless-steel-snap-hook-51mm-with-fixed-eye-2862/ I have ordered from them a couple of times and never had any problems. For some reason they list them according to total length, but just go for the eye width :-) They look a little bit different from the one you show, a bit more squarish in the shank, but that is the issue I can see. Brgds Jonas

Beautiful work, looks almost too nice to use :-) I bet the customer is proud as a peacock when he/she is using them.

I like to practice on off-cuts. They can have all sort of shapes, and putting two together and try to make a nice seam along the edge of one of the shapes is a great little exercise, and it only cost the thread. Brgds Jonas

Really nice looking set. That knife would be a great EDC in my opinion. Hope the bidding goes high to help raise some funds.

If you are using the Tandy Horse tack accessory pattern pack, I just checked, and the sizes strike me as completely off. The upper part of the noseband alone for a full size horse, the pattern suggest a 24" strap. So I really don't think that you have done anything wrong at all :-) If you are making a halter for your own horse, try to take the measurements of an existing halter that has a nice fit. If it is going to be a gift for someone, go visit them in the stable and see if you can get a chance to measure the halter. Not knowing if you are a horse person, please be careful if you are going to do any measuring on the halter when it is on the horse. Some horses will happily accept that you measure a bit with a tailors measuring tape, others the exact opposite. So it is always best to measure stuff that is not directly on the horse. The patterns and instructions provided by Tom E are fantastic! I have made 4 halters using those patterns, and they fit the horses very well, and they look incredibly good. If you like the Tandy design, you could use Tom E's measurements and make a halter according to the Tandy pattern. That would get you something that will fit the horse. (Unless you are making it for a Shire / Suffolk Punch / Clydesdale). Brgds Jonas

Well thought out system! I was blown away by your collection of neatly organized stamps. I currently have 6 stamps, so there is still a long way to go for me :-)

Darn that looks good!! I feel like I cheated on my last belt using a sewing machine to make the stitching :-) Hand stitched just look better!. The copper/brass edging detail is really well thought out and executed. and the HF detail looks like it was glued on. Makins a silver soldering with nothing flowing out is not an easy task! I am going to take some of those Candian coins from the ship with me home, our own low value coins don't have any animals on them. I am looking forward to seing the finished belt. Brgds Jonas

They look incredible! Do you use them on belts for securing the buckle, or as ornamentation? Brgds Jonas

They look SO good!! What do you use for antiquing? I am getting tempted to try it out based on those beautiful conchos you just made. Brgds Jonas

@Veriye I think that as long as you choose a fairly standard saddle tree, you should be able to sell the saddle afterwards. As long as it is a hobby, it is OK that it cost some money. So even if you are not able to sell the saddle when it is completed, you have learned from building it, and you have hopefully had a good time doing it. it is nice if your hobby can generate a bit oncome to covers some of the costs, but since it is "just a hobby", that shouldn't be the major concern. If you look at someone who likes to go hunting as a hobby, they have to pay for the hunting area and for a gun and some equipment. They spend countless hours and perhaps come home with a deer once in a while, so if you calculated the price of meat compared to the number of hours spent or amount of money spent on equipment - it would be really expensive meat. But the meat is just a biproduct of the hobby, and I think you should see your saddlebuild as a "biproduct of your hobby" as well. Just make sure you have a good time doing it, and enjoy every moment of the build. It doesn't matter if you spend 600 Euros on materials. If that is a project that can keep you happy and occupied for a year it is well worth it. Good luck with the saddle build. Brgds Jonas

I think leather crafting is a great way to leave your mark on this world! Some of the dearest things are those that have been made to us by others and gifted to us. I can't really explain the feeling of connection, but I think it is something with the fact that whoever made this or that did it with their own hands and thought of us while they were doing it. So if you make something no matter how long it takes, and give it to either a friend or a family member, those items will bring back memories whenever used. It is good to have you here. Jonas

@Joost Many people here (myself included) are sceptical in clicking on links. So if you can take a picture or two and post, it will probably generate a response. Plus it will make sure that the thread will still be meaningful in a couple of years since links tend to go bad over time, and a picture in the post will still work :-) I haven't looked at the video/link, but if the curve is tight, it can sometimes help to make some relief cuts in the fabric of the zipper. Just cut straight in from the fabric side and leave maybe 1/4" of fabric next to the teeth of the zipper. That is how it is done on e.g. riding boots that have the zipper down the front to make it able to follow the curve of the foot. Brgds Jonas

@TomEThanks Tom As usual I forgot to take some pictures of the saddle before starting the repair job. But as far as I remember, the reinforcement strips were completely worn through in the middle. On some of the saddles I get to repair, only part of the stitching is damaged by abrasion, and then I just restitch that part. I haven't made tack to sell. I doubt that I would be able to. I know that I can't complete on price, and that is just such an important factor for most people over here. So repair jobs make up for the bulk of our work. I would love to be able to sell a triple stitched halter, but for the same amount of money most people will prefer to buy a brand name halter. No complaining, it is just the way it seems to be :-) I do pretty much the exact same thing with tapering over 1.5 - 2" depending on the article to be repaired. Some jobs I manage to sew on the patcher, and I can see that most tack is machine sewn originally, so I do it to speed up the process and make sure that the customers don't think the repair job is too expensive. A reoccurring repair is the buckle straps that are attached to the noseband of the bridles. It is no wonder that they fall off. Often the strap is scarfed really thin, and then it is sewn across the thinned piece. So the slightest pull it will part on the stitch line. I really like to make repair jobs on leather items, there is something very satisfying in lengthening the lifespan of a piece of tack to me. And it sure beats repairing then inner lining of a damaged winter horse blanket. :-) Brgds Jonas